Cavin' Ain't Fer Sissies

There's a whole other world underground.
I hesitate to say a better world - but very different. A cool, dark crystal world where light slowly trickles down into on a sunny
day.

I have been to very few caves - it was a fun weekend activity to jump in the car and head to the caves in Maquoketa Iowa and see the curvy and spiky stones jut out in the darkness. But I was young and couldn't do much climbing.

The caves at Devil's Den National Park are by no means extreme or dangerous. They are too far underground to sustain life so there was no worry that a huge swarm of bats would come flying at my head from behind a rock. The ceilings were high and vast, and the walls were works of art. Everything was damp and cold and I was surrounded by a rich earthy smell.

After this visit, I can understand the draw of archeology. There is a certain thrill, traversing through the unknown, deep underground. Never knowing what you might find around the next bend of rock. But unlike Indiana Jones, I think I'll stick to caving where
I don't have people chasing me!